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Tried to install Ubuntu 24.04.1 on a brand new Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15IAN8 (erase disk option) from a bootable USB, only for the install to send me to (initramfs) after reboot following install media removal and pressing Enter. Image and USB all seem fine — worked to install Ubuntu on a different laptop. I also tried installing linux mint but get an identical issue. I tried changing some BIOS settings after the first fail, to turn off secure boot and Intel PTT in various combinations, but this had no effect. I naturally do not care about saving any personal data on the laptop as there was none to begin with.

For the sake of extra detail: After resetting BIOS settings to their defaults, and going through a typical Ubuntu install procedure (offline, default installation, no third-party apps or drivers), after showing the usual Ubuntu loading screen, I get:

BusyBox v1.36.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.36.1-6ubuntu3.1) built-in shell (ash)
Enter ’help’ for a list of built-in commands

(initramfs)

Running the command exit then yields:

(initramfs) exit
Gave up waiting for root file system device. Common problems:
 - Boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)
   - Check rootdelay= (did the system wait long enough?)
 - Missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)
ALERT!  UUID=a64e5c5f-2d9d-4e9d-8a0b-05f5024ecb20 does not exist.  Dropping to a shell!

(And then the same text as in the beginning is repeated) Booting in recovery mode yields a similar result albeit preceded by a long list of reports (all of which seem fine at a glance) that then end with:

Gave up waiting for root file system device. Common problems:
 - Boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)
   - Check rootdelay= (did the system wait long enough?)
 - Missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)
ALERT!  UUID=a64e5c5f-2d9d-4e9d-8a0b-05f5024ecb20 does not exist.  Dropping to a shell!

BusyBox v1.36.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.36.1-6ubuntu3.1) built-in shell (ash)
Enter ’help’ for a list of built-in commands


(initramfs)

For reference: The storage controller mode in BIOS is set to AHCI (the only option). The laptop has no ethernet port, but can connect to a wireless network in a live environment. Assume no external access to SSD (Not particularly keen on disassembling it). Main objective is to get a functioning install of Ubuntu (or some other user-friendly distribution) running normally (hopefully without an external USB attached at every boot).

user1586663
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1 Answers1

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Although I've not found a fix for the (initramfs) issue, I did nonetheless get a functioning install of Ubuntu 24.04 on the laptop, by installing 20.04 and updating it up to 24.04. 22.04 didn't work either, with the same problem present as for 24.04.

Unfortunately sound does not work, settings only showing dummy audio (alsa doesn't detect the audio card, and generic fixes for audio problems like restarting alsa and pulseaudio have zero effect). I guess I'll try fixing the sound separately since a [mostly] functioning Ubuntu install seems like progress compared to before.

user1586663
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